The Medieval Bow and Arrow
This post will focus mostly on the bow and arrow from the time of the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans. The English longbow is a completely separate discussion.
The Anglo-Saxons primarily used the bow for hunting. It is less frequently mentioned as being employed during battle, though according to one source, the Anglo-Saxons used bows at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. It seems odd, however, that the Anglo-Saxons would use bows at Stamford Bridge but not at Hastings only two weeks later. There are no literary accounts that mention the Anglo-Saxons using bows at Hastings, but we cannot state absolutely that they did not use them, for there is one solitary Anglo-Saxon archer depicted at Hastings on the Bayeux Tapestry. We know for a fact that the Norman army did use the bow heavily at Hastings. After all, it was an arrow that struck King Harold Godwinson in the eye.
Among the Vikings, the bow was used more frequently in battle than among the Anglo-Saxons, but still, it was not one of their primary weapons. The Vikings preferred the spear to the bow.
Bows during that period ranged in length from 66″ to 76″. They were constructed primarily of yew, elm or ash. The bow tapered toward the tips of the bow, and along the D-shaped section of the weapon, the grip was left bare. No leather or cloth or anything. Also, the “knocking point” of the arrow had nothing to protect the bowstave, such as a piece of horn as found on later period bows. The bowstring was often made from hemp. Demonstrations of replica bows prove the weapon had a draw weight of 50lbs to 70lbs.
While these types of bows were very effective against an unarmored man, they had more difficulty punching through armor or shields in battle. Based on demonstrations, mail armor will protect its wearer from a broadhead arrow, and while a bodkin arrow can break through the mail rings, a shield made of lime or linden wood 1cm thick would stop all arrows.
Arrow heads were typically made of iron, and the arrow shafts were made from ash, willow, aspen or pine. The feathers were goose or swan feathers, with four or three flights per shaft.
Main sources:
“Bows and Arrows.” Regia Anglorum. http://www.regia.org/warfare/bow.htm (retrieved March 11, 2010).
Bradbury, Jim. The Medieval Arhcer. The Boydell Press, Woodbridge. 1985.
Filed under: Middle Ages History, Medieval History on March 11th, 2010 | No Comments »
